The Shakespeare Conspiracy
Closed 2h 15m
The Shakespeare Conspiracy
71

The Shakespeare Conspiracy NYC Reviews and Tickets

71%
(26 Ratings)
Positive
77%
Mixed
15%
Negative
8%
Members say
Clever, Entertaining, Thought-provoking, Great acting, Absorbing

About the Show

Murder, mayhem, and manhunts abound in this dramatic examination of the underbelly of London's Elizabethan theater, and the conspiracy surrounding the true authorship of the works of the Bard.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (26)

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120 Reviews | 12 Followers
100
Absorbing, Delightful, Entertaining, Masterful, Clever

See it if You want to learn about the Shakespeare conspiracy. I really enjoyed this show and the acting.

Don't see it if You don't like long shows. It's 2 hrs + intermission.

54 Reviews | 12 Followers
88
Absorbing, Clever, Delightful, Entertaining, Great acting

See it if You enjoy enjoy fictional period pieces of the past. Well done!!

Don't see it if You are offended by gay storylines.

52 Reviews | 8 Followers
83
Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if you enjoy Shakespeare and wonder about the true identity of the author of his works.

Don't see it if you have no curiosity.

168 Reviews | 24 Followers
79
Clever, Funny, Entertaining, Raunchy

See it if if you are intrigued by the Shakespeare/Marlowe controversy.

Don't see it if you don't like seeing male affection on the stage or are not interested in the question of how could Shakespeare write those plays? Read more

683 Reviews | 161 Followers
74
Preposterous, Enjoyable, Handsome, Repetitive, Clever

See it if you don’t care that a play plays fast & loose with literary history, just so long as it has fun doing it.

Don't see it if you are unable to set aside a preposterous, chronologically impossible conspiracy theory & just enjoy the amusing mayhem it permits. Read more

752 Reviews | 145 Followers
74
Entertaining, Funny, Enjoyable, Good acting

See it if The story is not bad, it's funny and enjoyable.

Don't see it if You have issues with same sex love, and friendship. Read more

200 Reviews | 41 Followers
70
Clever, Delightful, Quirky

See it if The interesting concept about Shakespeare and his works is the star of this show. The execution, acting and directing needs some work/help.

Don't see it if This show should be edited especially the 15 - 20 minutes before the intermission get very repetitive. The play is rather clever overall.

110 Reviews | 16 Followers
70
Enchanting, Great acting, Great staging, Indulgent, Thought-provoking

See it if Like Shakespeare from a Gay perspective, language that's easily understood. No music.

Don't see it if Don't like Gay oriented plays. And does not include music.

Critic Reviews (5)

Talkin' Broadway
April 27th, 2018

"For those who revel in historical deceptions, the play offers a fair share of intrigue and conspiratorial confirmation...While 'The Shakespeare Conspiracy' has a good deal of melodramatic twists and turns to hold one's interest for most of the two-hour running time, it is not likely to change the mind of people who believe that Shakespeare did indeed write Shakespeare's plays...The characters are too thinly drawn and the periodic plot holes quickly skirted to make a compelling case."
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TheaterScene.net
April 28th, 2018

"This clunky though vigorously performed and presented fantasia posits one of the more arguably outlandish theories of Shakespearean authorship...A choppy series of overheated episodes and vignettes spanning 40 years...with plentiful and heavy-handed dialogue...Karafin has assembled a talented multiracial company who variously perform with classical and contemporary verve...Still, it all does get wearying over the course of two acts...It’s full of sound and fury signifying nothing."
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Theater Pizzazz
April 28th, 2018

"The clever and most entertaining production reveals superb direction and adroit acting by the ensemble...The arc of Bacino’s and Cadigan’s play solidly develops this adventurous intrigue with rationality so there are few logical gaps...Almost apologetically described as a gay romp, the tone of the play is comedic. However, there is underlying depth and emotion...The actors are invested so the humor appears fluid and facile...I heartily recommend this production as a must-see."
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Let's Go to the Theater
April 30th, 2018

"An imaginative representation of this time period and the questions arising from it...The plot has more twists and turns that bring it to quite a surprising ending. Strong acting develops the characterization on stage which is so crucial to the story line. Under the direction of Karafin, suspense and downright scary moments at times develop the plot and makes it very believable...A superb production to see."
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Arts International
May 11th, 2018

“With quite a few twists and turns and eventual murder/suicide the Conspiracy unfolds. It’s very much of a thriller and much better than Agatha Christie's murder mysteries...Throughly engrossing. The whole ensemble is wonderful...Karafin has done an enormously brilliant and superb job directing this very complicated and difficult play. He has created an atmosphere of darkness and shadows which are perfect for the mood of this play...A beautiful, sensitive and delicious accomplishment.”
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